Love Lost: A story before the Labyrinth
by Labyrinth-love
Summary: Jareth knows Sara and loves her not for the reason we think. She is his daughter. Sara's mother Chantel is engaged to Sara's "father" Chris, when she found the Labyrinth. With each visit, she falls more and more inlove with Jareth. Who will Chantel Marry?
1. The Engagement

Chantel's eyes glistened with tears of joy, looking down at Chris kneeling, a ring box open in his hand. She put her hand to her mouth, nodding her head. She barely managed to eek out a "yes" as she quickly closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck. He stood up and put his hands around her waist, spinning her round. Once he set her on the ground, he grabbed her left hand and slid the ring onto her finger. They both smiled at each other, ear to ear, then kissed with so much joy and love.

"Now to go tell everyone," Chris said with a smile, holding her hand all the way back to the car.

They had gone to the mountain side where they had met. They had gone with a group of mutual friends and had been dating ever since. It really was a beautiful spot. The trees were taller than most any skyscraper and greener than envy. The rocks and grass knew no bounds and could be as they wanted. There was a stream that trickled down the rocks on the side of the mountain. This was Chantel's favorite spot, especially if she needed to go away and think.

Chris drove them to her house and no one was home. She looked at Chris, confused.

"There's usually someone home. Where are they?" She asked him rhetorically.

He parked the car and got out, as did she. He held her hand, feeling the ring press on his hand. He opened the door and slowly slid the door open. All the lights were off, but suddenly were turned on. As the lights came on, all of her friends and family popped out of their hiding spots bursting out a "surprise!" One by one, they all came up and hugged her, congratulating her on the engagement. She was overcome with joy and began crying. She hugged Chris and put her face into his chest.

"You did all of this for me?" She asked through his shirt.

He looked down and smiled at her nodding. He kissed her head and held her tightly. After collecting herself, they all headed to the kitchen where her mom had made a cake. She smiled as everyone was served a piece, watching all the happy friends, family, and even soon-to-be family. Champaine was passed around and once everyone got a glass, Chris stood up, clinking his fork against the glass.

"I wish to propose a toast. To my lovely bride-to-be, Chantel, may all our days together be as wonderful and blessed as the last year," he said, then raised his glass. "To us."

Everyone smiled and raised their glasses and tapped everyone else's glasses. When he sat back down, she leaned over and kissed him softly, then murmured a "thank you." She smiled and held his hand tightly. They really were in love.

Later that evening, Chantel was wandering around the park, as she had many times before. She loved to walk off the beaten path, away from others. She stopped and leaned on her favorite tree in the park, when she noticed a strange light coming from a hedge. She knew that the hedge was the wall to the park and there was no way light could be shining through the other side. She carefully walked up to it, noticing it was a door, cracked open ever so slightly. She wrapped her fingers around the door and slowly opened it. Light poured onto the grass behind her as she looked back. She smiled and walked through the door way, the door shutting behind her.


	2. A Strange Place

Chantel looked around, so amazed by her surroundings. She stood upon a hill, overlooking a beautiful, lush labyrinth. In the middle of the twists and turns was a beautiful castle. She looked to the left and saw green and trees, then to her right, the same. She looked down at the bottom of the hill and saw a small figure wandering around. She headed down the hill to speak with the figure. Once she got to where she could see the figure clearly, she noticed he was short and looked much different than a human. He wobbled around; spraying what looked to be bugs. She walked up and looked at what he had sprayed. She stood there shocked, he was spraying fairies.

"What are you doing? This is horrible," she said, looking at him.

He looked back at her and shook his head. "No, I'm Hoggle. Be careful they..."

"Ouch!" She looked at her finger, a fairy nibbling on her finger. She shooed it away like one would a fly. Hoggle rolled his eyes and wobbled on. She followed silently, watching him.

"Who are you? Why are you here? What are you?" he asked, stopping and turning to look at her.

"I'm Chantel. I just came through a door, that's gone now. I have no idea how I got here," she looked around.

Hoggle looked at her, shocked. "You came through the door? I must take you to the king immediately."

He said, waddling about 30 feet away from where they were and knocked on a door. She followed him through the doorway. She jumped as the doors closed behind them. He led them through the labyrinth quickly. Within minutes they were at the castle doors. She looked down at the short being and looked back at the doors. The doors opened on their own and Hoggle continued through the threshold. They soon came up to a chair that was adorned with all sorts of precious gems and mettles. In it sat a man, just about Chantel's age. He was lying lazily in the chair, watching the two come closer. He quickly stood up and walked up to Chantel, looking at her intently, and then snapped his head to look at Hoggle.

Without the male having to say anything, Hoggle spoke up, "I found her outside the labyrinth; she said she came in through the door. I brought her straight here."

The male looked at her, walking around her, inspecting her. "I am Jareth, King of the Goblins and of this labyrinth. Who might you be?"

Chantel watched this man circle and said, "Chantel, my name is Chantel. I'm not sure how I got here and I'm not even sure where 'here' is."

Jareth smiled and grabbed her right hand kissing it softly, then spoke. "Welcome to my wonderful kingdom Chantel. I can give you a tour if you so wish."

She nodded and he took her hand. "Hobble, go tell the goblins to get the carriage ready."

Hoggle stormed out muttering "it's Hoggle," under his breath.

Jareth smiled and looked at his guest. "It's been a long time since I have seen a human here. You see, I am the only human in the labyrinth. It's refreshing to see such a beautiful face. Goblin's aren't the most appealing things to look at."

She blushed and giggled at her words. Any fear she had earlier, had been completely washed away by this man. He truly was attractive and he seemed sweet and sincere. She played wither the ring on her left hand as he walked them through parts of the castle, telling her stories. They finally reached the carriage and she gawked at what she saw. The carriage itself was beautiful and intricate design of blues and golds. In front of it was a well dressed goblin on a seat. The carriage worked almost like a bicycle, with handle bars to steer and petals to propel it forward. She smiled as the king helped her in. She looked all around the inside, no inch was overlooked. She looked back at Jareth to see her staring at her. He looked away and pulled out a crystal ball and smiled.

"If you are going to be treated like royalty, let's put you in a dress," he said, then blew on the crystal ball.

It began to float over to her as if it was a bubble. Just when it was over her head, it popped. As the pieces of the popped bubble came down, a dress appeared on her. It was a beautiful blue dress that came out a bit andcame out over several layers of crinoline. She looked down and smiled widely. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"This is beautiful. How did you do that?" She asked, still in awe.

"The labyrinth is nothing like Earth. So many magical things and opportunities await those who seek it here. That why I decided to stay here. Plus us humans don't age here," he said with a grin.

The carriage began to move and Chantel began to look out the window intently. It truly was beautiful here. There were so many kinds of beautiful flowers of all shapes and sizes. There was one rose that was as big as her and she swore it smiled at her. As she watched, and looked in awe, Jareth watched her, smiling the whole time. She happened to glance at him and blushed, then looked away. He smiled and reached over, moving her head to face him.

"You really are the most beautiful being I have ever seen in my life." He said with a smile as they stopped. "We are here."

He got out and helped her out and looked at her face. She climbed out and looked up to see a beautiful green lawn with trees and flowers. In the middle was a huge fountain that could be used as a pool. She smiled and walked forward. Just before the grass, she kicked off her shoes and she ran into the cool, soft grass. She closed her eyes and smiled, then spun in a circle. She stopped and looked at Jareth, grinning from ear to ear. He pulled out another call and he threw it by the fountain. Once it hit the ground, it exploded. Once the smoke cleared, there was laid out a picnic. Chantel smiled and looked between the picnic and Jareth. She walked over and sat down, with several tries, next to the fountain and the basket. She looked into the basket and found all of her favorite foods. Jareth walked over and sat down with her and smiled. He poured them a glass of wine and handed her a glass.

"To the future," he said with a soft smile, raising his glass.


	3. It's Complicated

Chantel had no idea how much time had passed when Jareth finally stood up and offered his hand. They had laughed and smiled, shared stories, and of course ate. As they walked away from the picnic, it disappeared. She looked back and saw the area as it was when they first arrived. She smiled and grabbed her shoes on the way into the carriage. Once he hopped in, she looked at him and smiled.

"Thank you for such a wonderful time, I should really get back to my fiancé. He's probably worried about me." She said, plating with the ring. She looked up and saw a sad look on the king's face. "I-I'm sorry. I should have told you. But I had the most fun today than I had in a long time. Thank you."

He nodded and gave a half fake smile and nodded. "You know how to get here now. You are welcome any time you wish. I can get you home in a flash, but, to remember me, have this."

He held out an intricate wooden carved box. She opened it and smiled seeing a necklace with a little crystal ball about the size of a marble. She quickly put it on and admired it. She smiled and opened her mouth to thank him, but he opened one of his hands and blew on it, glitter flying off his hand and going into her face. She scrunched her eyes, avoiding getting it in her eyes.

She opened her eyes and found herself in the park, by a low tree. She had a massive headache and blinked, noticing it was really quite dark. She stayed on the ground until she heard voices calling her name. She saw flashlight lights heading for her. She slowly began to sit up as one shone in her face.

"Chantel! You guys! I found her," she heard a familiar voice yell.

Chris ran up to her side, dropping the flashlight, getting onto his knees. He pulled her into a huge hug, holding her tightly. She buried her face in his chest, hearing several pairs of feet come closer. She brought a hand up to her forehead as he loosened his grip on her. She winced and felt a bruise.

"You must have hit your head. You look dazed. We should take you to the hospital to make sure you don't have a concussion." He said, pushing a strand of her hair back from her face.

_A concussion? So, then the labyrinth, Hoghead, the picnic, Jareth, they all were just a dream?_ She sighed and shook her head. "No. I'm fine. I just want to go home."

Chris nodded and picked her up, one arm under her knees, one on her back. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder and rested her head on his shoulder as he took the lead of the search group. He put her in the passenger seat of his car and closed the door. He stood talking to the search party that consisted of a few of her friends, her parents, his parents and a few police officers. He smiled, nodded and waved, then got into the driver's seat. They drove to his apartment in silence, Chantel trying hard not to go back to sleep. When they arrived, he quickly got out and opened her door as she fumbled to get her seatbelt off. He kissed her cheek and leaned over her slowly to unbuckle her seatbelt. Once she was free, he picked her up, holding her just as before, and walked into the apartment. He climbed up to his bedroom and set her down on his bed gingerly.

"Get some rest," he said, stroking her face.

She nodded and she closed her eyes. He walked out of the room, grabbed a chair and sat next to the bed, holding her hand with one hand, stroking her face and playing with her hair with the other. She fell asleep quickly; which was a relief for him. He smiled down at her, but it soon faded when something glimmering caught his eye. He used his free hand to move her hair to see a necklace with what looked like to be a marble on it.

"What is this? She hates necklaces," he said to himself, curious. "Who gave this to you?"

Chris looked back to her sleeping and sighed. He took it off of her and slid it into his pocket, jealous beyond belief.


	4. The Misunderstanding

Chris woke up early the next morning and began to make breakfast, thinking over last night's events. He cracked eggs and made waffles and bacon. He was making a feast, not because he wanted to, but because he needed something to do to try to keep his mind busy. Although, it didn't work; he was still fuming over last night.

_She doesn't like necklaces. I remember I bought her that very expensive one and she turned it down because she didn't 'like things around her neck". I didn't think anything of it before, but why would she suddenly start wearing one?_

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a noise from behind him. He smiled and turned around to see Chantel up and wobbling into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. She smiled and stood up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. He smiled and went back to cooking. She wrapped her arm around one of his, watching him.

"What is bothering you?" She asked softly; know that the only time he makes this much food is if there is something on his mind.

He put down his spatula and turned to face her. "I was just so worried about you last night. You scared me. There were so many reasons going on in my head of why we couldn't find you," he said, putting his hands on her wait and pulling her to him. "I never want to lose you again."

She smiled up at him and nodded. "You will never lose me," She said, kissing him softly.

He grinned as she kissed him and he kissed her deeper, turning off the stove. He pulled away, grinning. He picked her up and headed upstairs, shutting the door with his foot.

Chantel sat at the small table, chowing down on the breakfast Chris had made. He soon sat down too, eating like they hadn't had food in days. He looked up at her, and smiled. He was so in love with this girl, but the necklace for some odd reason had him worried about her feelings for him. She finished before he did.

"If you do the dishes, I'll straighten up your room," she said putting her plate in the sink.

She took one last look at him in his boxers and t-shirt, and then headed upstairs. She made the bed and started picking up cloths he left on the floor all too often. As he picked up the pair he had been wearing, she saw something slip out of the pocket. She placed all the cloth she had in her hands on the bed, bent down and picked it up. It was the necklace Jareth had given her.

"It wasn't a dream. But why did Chris have it?" She thought out loud.

She headed downstairs and walked into the kitchen. She opened her hand, looking at the necklace. "Where did you get this?" She asked.

Chris turned around and looked at the necklace in her hand. He turned off the faucet and set down his sponge. "I was going to ask you the same thing. I found it around your neck last night. I thought you hated necklaces. Who gave it to you? Why were you wearing it?" He asked all these questions, getting angry.

Chantel realized then that he had every right to be angry and that he should be angrier than her. She bit her lip and looked at his face.

"A little boy came up to me and asked me if I wanted to buy it for a dollar. He was so cute, so I bought it and he waited for me to put it on before he left." She said, closing her hand around it.

Chris shook his head. "You suck at lying Chantel. Tell me the truth."

She couldn't keep it from him and she began to shake her head as he got closer to her. She backed up till her back it part of a wall. He put his arm above her head, leaning over her as tears started pouting from her eyes.

"It's all just a misunderstanding. It's nothing," She said, then stormed out.

She ran to the park, necklace still in hand. She wiped her eyes as she looked for the door. After five minutes of looking, she found it and quickly went in without looking back.


	5. A Shoulder to Cry on

As soon as Chantel crossed into the other realm, the realm of the labyrinth, of Jareth, She collapsed to her knees and bent over, covered her face and began to bawl. After a couple of minutes, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw a concerned Jareth. She smiled and almost tackled him in a hug, still crying her eyes out.

He stroked her hair, saying "there here. Let me take you back to the castle and you can tell me everything that has upset you."

He pushed her away a bit, grabbing her hand that had the necklace tight in its grip. He rubbed it softly and gently opened it. He grabbed the necklace and placed it back on her neck. He stood up and pulled her with him. He smiled and pulled her to him in a hug. When she pulled away, they were already in the castle.

She smiled and wiped away some of the tears, stating "I forgot this isn't Kansas anymore."

They both chuckled and he motioned her to sit down. It wasn't till then she noticed the room. They were in what looked to be a study. She sat down on an eloquent couch and looked around the room, sniffling. She noticed the shelves of books and the marble looking walls. The desk across the room was the same color as the shelves and the wood décor of the couch. There were intricate rugs on the floor and giant windows that let in light. Though she had noticed there were no paintings, not plants. The only forms of life in the room were her and Jareth. She turned her head to look at Jareth, who had been in the same exact position as they had arrive in, looking at her. He sat down next to her and let her tell him everything that happened from when she left up to when she came back. She wasn't normally one to trust people so soon, but he had this way about him. She felt so comfortable around him.

He held her hand and smiled at her. "Don't worry about it. Everything will be ok. You can just keep it on your pocket if you don't want to cause anymore fuss. Go back and tell him it was from a friend, but you gave it back because you didn't like necklaces and didn't want him to be upset."

Chantel nodded and smiled. "I should go and talk to him."

Jareth nodded and put his hand on her face, fingertips on her closed eyelids. She felt his hand leave her face, and she was sitting in the park again. She stood up and smiled. She put the necklace in her pocket and headed back to Chris' house.

She walked in and frowned, hoping he would forgive her. He had put away the left-over's from breakfast and had finished all the dishes. She walked up stairs and into his room. She found him flopped on the bad and had fallen asleep. She quietly walked over to the bed and cuddled up to him. He moved in his sleep, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her neck. She smiled and closed her eyes, falling asleep as well.


	6. A Much Needed Dinner

It had been over a week in earthly tome since Jareth had seen Chantel. He would check up on her occasionally through her necklace that, she did indeed keep in her pocket. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he really was missing her. All the goblins in the castle could tell that something was bothering him. He was very unlike himself after four days of earth time of not seeing her. He often took long walks by himself, lost in thought, not even noticing when goblins came up to talk to him.

He laid in his lazy throne in the stone room with his legs over one arm of the chair, looking into one of his crystal balls. He saw her with what he assumed to be a friend and a well dressed lady. They were looking at some sort of cards and sipping champagne. She was smiling and one of them said something and they all started laughing. He sighed and dropped the crystal ball to the floor. When it hit the floor it exploded into a pile of confetti.

"Why does it hurt so much," he asked himself. "I need to find a way to bring her back. But I don't want to make her come. It should be on her own accord."

Just then he had a brilliant idea and smiled from ear to ear, he jumped out of his throne and headed to his study. He sat right down and pulled out a half sheet of some sort of cardstock and dipped his quill into the bottle of ink. His writing was so beautiful and smooth. He finished off the card with intricate markings running down the sides and the bottom. At the top a beautiful gold ribbon was tied into a bow. Pleased with how his invitation turned out, he held it in his hand and it burst into flames.

Chantel smiled, finally coming home from a long day at work and the wedding planner. She rubbed her head and dropped her purse and kicked off her shoes. She walked to her room and changed from work cloths to lazy house clothing. She walked over to her dresser for a hair tie and saw a beautiful piece of paper. She walked over, looking at it oddly.

"What is this? Where did it come from," she asked, picking it up.

It read:

_Dearest Chantel_

_You have been personally invited to a special feast with_

_the Goblin King, Jareth_

_It has been too long since our last meeting and we have much to talk about._

_I do hope you come._

_Arrive as you wish,_

_King Jareth_

With this, Chantel smiled and sat the invitation down. She had plans with Chris tonight, but he canceled because he was asked to work late. She walked back downstairs and slipped on some shoes, then headed to the park.

She arrived at the park and headed straight for the spot where the door was. She looked around and snuck through. She smiled seeing the beautiful landscape that she loved so much. You couldn't see anything like this without driving at least fifty miles out of the city. She smiled and closed her eyes, thinking of having Jareth come meet her.

A hand grabbed hers and her hand met a pair of lips. She opened her eyes and saw Jareth, standing before her, her hand up to her lips. They both smiled and he offered her his arm. She was in awe of what he was wearing. He had on a pair of black knee high boots with grey pants tucked into them. His tailcoat vest was the most stunning orange with blue accents and it crossed in the front at an angle that fastened with four buckles. Peaking out of the vest was a simple cream poet shirt that came down to a "v" and ruffled ever so slightly. He had light streaks of blue and orange in his big blond hair.

He smiled and stood by her side, sprinkling something over her head and she looked down, seeing she was wearing an Italian renaissance style dress that matched his tailcoat vest. She smiled and looked up at him. She took his arm and without a word, in a blink of an eye, they stood in front of a set of giant wood doors. He waived a few fingers on the arm that was linked with Chantel's and the doors swung open wide to display a eloquent dining hall. The table seemed to go on forever. He walked her to the chair to the right of the ornate chair at the head of the table, which was obviously his seat. She sat down and he pushed in her hair. She smiled and watched him sit in his chair.

His voice broke the silence first. "It has been too long Chantel. I missed you."

Chantel smiled and pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear. "I have been so busy. I haven't forgotten about you, in fact, I think of you and this place often, but I haven't had the chance to visit till tonight. Thank you for inviting me."

Jareth smiled and nodded. "My pleasure," he said, just as goblins began to pour in through a "regular" sized door with plates and bowls, glasses and bottles of wine.

The first goblin poured wine into two glasses and set them on the table. As that one scurried away, another came up with bowls of soup for each of them. Two other goblins stood off to the side holding the main dishes, waiting for the two to finish their soup.

Chantel began sipping the soup. At first she was a bit hesitant, unsure of what to expect, but once it hit her taste buds, she smiled. It was quite delicious. She ate it at a decent pace, trying to keep her etiquette in front of a king.

"Though it is not always the most amazing looking, goblins make the best food anyone has ever made," Jareth said and finished off his soup, watching her the whole time.

She looked up from her bowl to him and blushed, nodding in agreement. "It really is the best I've ever tasted. So far at least."

She barely put down her spoon after finishing her soup when the bowl seemed to disappear and the goblins replaced it with the main dish. She smiled watching the two run off with the empty bowls back through the door they came in. She looked at the plate and picked up her fork, starting to eat. The two of them ate in silence the whole time. One would occasionally reach for their wineglass and take a sip. He had his eyes glued to her, but was still eating just fine. She would occasionally glance his way, blush, and look away. Every time she looked at his eyes, butterflies hyped up on caffeine and sugar danced around in her stomach. When she finally realized this, she stopped eating for a moment. She thought about how she hadn't felt like this since the first week her and Chris started dating. She shook off the thought and began eating again.

"Is something the matter?" Jareth asked, looking away from her, to his food.

She looked at him and smiled. "No, of course not. I'm in a beautiful castle, being treated like a princess, eating the greatest food ever. I am grand."

They both smiled at each other, then finished their dinner. Jareth stood and offered her his hand. She stood and took his hand. He led her out of the dining hall and to his study. He turned and faced her, smiling.

"This is my study where I come to relax after a long day's work. I also do all of my kingly paperwork here," he said with a smile.

She walked up to a nearby bookcase and ran her fingers across the spines, reading each title. Most she had never heard of or was in some odd language. Her hand stopped when she found _Romeo and Juliet_. She turned to look at him and smiled. He walked up to her and brushed a strand of hair from her face. They were inches away from one another, staring into the other's eyes. Both of their hearts were racing, stomachs filled with crazy butterflies. His hand hadn't moved from pushing her hair back till he willed it to cup her cheek. He leaned in slow and just before their lips touched he whispered "Chantel."


	7. Falling

Chantel's head swam, lost in a whirl of thoughts as she felt his lips on her. She instinctively kissed him back, putting her arms around his neck, the kiss staying soft. She opened her eyes and stepped back, putting her hands on his chest, now standing an arm's length away. She dropped her head and her long light brown hair dropped onto her shoulders and down her face. She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. She turned to run, but as she turned, Jareth grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into a hug.

"I-I can't…" She started to say something and he shook his head, stroking her straight hair.

"Shhh. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put you in such a spot," he said, his voice no more than a whisper, but as he spoke, his chest vibrated with his words.

Chantel looked up at his words and shook her head. "But, I wanted this kiss, just as much as you. You make me feel like I did when I first met my fiancé. It's been so long since I've felt like this."

She smiled and kissed him this time, putting her arms around his neck again, this time the kiss didn't stay soft for very long. She felt almost high when they kissed, it was so, well, magical. He put on hand on her hip, the other cupping her cheek and she slid her hands down to his chest. He shivered and moved both arms around her waist, pulling her close. She pulled away for one second and opened her eyes to notice, they were no longer in his study. She had not seen the room they were in before, but assumed that this was his bedroom. She pecked him on the lips and grabbed his hand, leading him to the beautiful four post bed.

Chantel laid there for some time, looking around the room from her spot on the bed, taking in the room. It was a vast room full of beautiful furniture and rugs and things of the sort. The room was fairly dark. The extensive curtains were opened just enough it let the setting sunlight peak through. There were candles lit, but there was no other light in the room. She ended up bringing her attention back to the sleeping figure next to her. She ran a hand through his messy hair and laid back down completely, closing her eyes. Jareth moved in his sleep, putting his arm around her.

Chantel woke up the next morning, in her bed, tucked in, wearing her Pajama's. Waking up, she smiled and rolled over in her bed. Last night was the most amazing experience she had ever had. She thought about Jareth and her smile grew bigger, but then felt the ring on her left hand and it instantly disappeared. She became nervous and sat up.

"How could I? I'm engaged to Chris. Why did I…" She asked herself.

As she sat there thinking, she played with the ring on her finger and thought about how many times she had been cheated on. How could she cheat on someone else now? But how couldn't she? She was falling for Jareth. Her thoughts were soon interrupted by a soft knock on the door. She looked at her door and said "come in." The door opened barely and Chris crept in, grinning ear to ear. He crept in quietly and shut the door just as quietly. He walked over to her and kissed her on the lips. She smiled and kissed him back.

When they finally pulled away from the kiss he whispered, "Surprise. I thought it would be fun to sneak into your house and wake you up with a kiss, but you are already awake. Everyone else is still asleep."

He gave her this look that it was his "hey- you…Yeah-you" face and she couldn't help but giggle. She watched him climb into her bed, under the sheets with her with a smile. He pulled her down so she was lying on the bed, facing the same direction he was facing. He pecked her cheek, moving the kisses slowly to her neck. She giggled and turned onto her other side so that they were facing each other and he began kissing her lips. The two tried to keep the rest of the night's events as quiet as possible for the rest of the sleeping house.


	8. Oh Baby!

Chantel bit her lip, pacing her room, eyes on the clock on her nightstand. She wrung her hands and played with her ring. Once the clock hit 1:15pm, she power walked, stumbling over her feet, to the dresser. She grabbed the white strip and stared at it, stumbling backwards. Her back hit the wall and she dropped the stick, then slid to the floor. She ran a hand through her hair and groaned.

"I need to tell them," she mumbled to herself.

She had visited Jareth three times a week for three weeks. For the last few days of the three weeks, she had begun canceling dates with Chris saying things like _"Oh hun, I'm so sorry. They asked me to world late tonight."_ The last week, she visited 3 times, but the third visit, she stayed for two days. She had spent plenty of time with Jareth that she was unsure of what the results had in store for the future.

She slipped on a pair of shoes and quickly headed to the park. She found the entrance and slid in. Jareth had taught her how to automatically appear at his side. She appeared behind him in his study. He was lying in his chair, his back against one arm, one leg over the other arm, and the other leg hanging off the front. His head was resting on the back of the chair and his eyes were asleep. She gave a half smile as she looked down at his sleeping figure. She pushed the bangs from his forehead and kissed it softly. His eyes opened and instantly, a grin from ear to ear appeared on his face.

"Oh, Chantel," he said softly, getting up. He walked around his chair and pulled her close, resting one hand on her cheek.

Chantel closed her eyes and smiled. She opened her eyes and grabbed his hand, her smile fading. Her grip on his hand tightened as she looked down.

"I-I need to tell you something. I-Im…" She held her breath, then forgot to breathe, and fainted.

As she headed closer to the floor, Jareth caught her and held her close to him. He quickly took them to his room and laid her on the bed. He ordered a little fat goblin to fetch water and a washcloth. When it finally waddled in, hit set a bowl of warm water on the nightstand and put the rag in the bowl. It bowed and quickly left. Jareth sat next to her, wrung out the cloth, and rested it on her forehead.

Chantel's eyes opened slowly and her hand came up and rested on her forehead. Her eyes took a few minutes to focus, but when she came to, she looked to her side and saw a worried Jareth on the nearby couch, eyes glued to her. She sat up and began to climb off, but he quickly came over and held her hand, stopping her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, stroking her cheek.

Tears began to fill her eyes and she bit her lip. "I'm pregnant."


	9. Rocky Road

"I'm pregnant."…

Jareth grabbed both of her hands tightly with a smile. "Do you know if it's…"

Before he could finish asking, Chantel shook her head. A tear rolled down her cheek and she squeezed his hands. "I can't ask Chris to take the test to see if he's the father, but here, you don't have the technology. What do I do Jareth?"

He pulled her close and held her tightly. "I love you Chantel. You will know what to do in time. I would love the child no matter what. Your time to decide is quickly approaching. I will always love you, you understand this."

She nodded, rubbing the tears from her eyes. She gave him another hug and pecked his lips. She laid back down and began to ponder what she was going to do and how she was going to tell Chris. She held on tightly with one hand to the necklace Jareth had given her. She had been started wearing it when she would visit the Labyrinth and when she began canceling on Chris, she began to wear it all the time. She had fallen in love with Jareth, just as he had fallen for her. She closed her eyes and was soon asleep. She felt comfortable there, in that bed, knowing Jareth was always nearby.

Once Jareth saw she had fallen asleep, he kissed her head and walked over to the fireplace. On the mantle was a little, but quite eloquent grey box with black undertones that had beautiful Celtic knot work engraved into it. He grabbed the beautiful box and held it in one hand, staring at it for a long time before opening it, revealing a beautiful ring. It looked like an antique ring from about the European Renaissance. It was a diamond, the size of a pea, set in the most stunning gold band that had knot work in it.

He sat on the couch and just gazed at the ring, so many thoughts running through his mind. Should I ask her now? What about Chris? She has a lot on her mind right now, the least she needs is another proposal while engaged. But I love her too much to see her off with another man. And what if the child is mine? What then? I want to be with Chantel forever. I want our child to grow up here in the labyrinth, learn to love the goblins as I do. He stopped for a moment and looked from the ring, to the sleeping Chantel. But is that what she wants?

He closed his eyes and with a small grunt, he got up and walked to the bed. He set the box, now closed, on the night stand next to her and walked around the other side of the bed. He crawled in and pulled her close to him. He closed his eyes and he too, fell asleep.

Chantel woke up in Jateth's arms. She had somehow managed to face away from him, but his arms were wrapped around her. She smiled and stroked one of his hands, but out of the corner of her eye, saw something she hadn't noticed before. It was a small grey box, resting on the nightstand. She slowly and carefully reached over and grabbed the box, trying not to wake him. She opened the box and let out a small gasp. She smiled looking at it, not pulling it out, but admiring it from inside the box.

"I had intended to ask you to marry me, and then show you the ring," rang a sweet voice behind her. He had woken up. "I didn't plan on what to do if you looked at it before I was able to ask you."

She turned her whole body over and smiled at him. "It really is quite beautiful. But… I can't accept it till I make my decision. I love you Jareth, with all my heart. I just don't think I can leave everything and everyone at home. Let me have time."

Jareth nodded. "When the clock strikes midnight, the night before your wedding, you will have made your decision. I will know then that if you are not by my side by then, you have chosen your other life."

Chantel nodded and sighed. "I really should go. I need to tell Chris."

He nodded and they kissed. She soon got up and in seconds, she was gone. Jareth was alone now and she was at home. She had to tell Chris.


	10. What's in a Name

There was a knock at the door and Chantel had her bedroom door open enough to hear it. The rest of her family was out on a weekend trip, so she was alone. She hopped down the stairs and opened the front door. She opened it and smiled, seeing Chris.

"Chantel, you're alright. I was worried I…"

"Chris, I need to talk to you," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the house, into the kitchen, he shut the door behind him.

The two of them sat next to each other and she opened his hand, the back of his hand on the table. She began to trace the lines on his hand and avoided eye contact. Chris took his free hand, grabbed her chin and moved her head to look at him. He pecked her lips and pulled away, holding both of her hands.

"What is it Chantel?"

She gulped and took in a deep breath, a slight smile on her face, finally getting the courage to say, "I'm pregnant."

It took a moment for her words to sink in and he instantly beamed with joy. He stood up, pulling her with him, then grabbed her hips and spun her around. He slowly brought her down, kissing her softly. They stood there for a few minutes and finally pulled away. He pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair.

"If that's the case, we may just want to move the date up so you don't have to choose a different dress. I love you." He kissed the top of her head and smiled. "How does two weeks sound?"

Chantel looked up at him and bit her lip. _Two weeks? That's not enough time to decide. But I can't tell him why. Oh man._ "Two weeks is great."

Chris smiled and kissed her cheek. "Come on. We need to go get the invitations done. There's so much left to do in two weeks. You like the park right? Why don't we have the ceremony there?" He pulled her along with him to his car and they headed out.

Chantel soon became buried in last minute wedding things and hadn't gone to see Jareth in a week. All though the week Chris did little romantic things here and there that made her smile. One day he put a little box in with her wedding paperwork and inside it was a fortune cookie whose fortune said "I love Chantel" then had their wedding date on it. He would bring flowers and chocolates and write her little notes. She really felt the intense pressure on her, especially when she would have to make emergency runs to the bathroom because of a certain someone in her stomach. She had begun to wear her hair up all the time, though it made her sad not to have her straight brown hair flow down her shoulders and back freely.

She finally was able to relax a bit at the end of the day. She had taken a soothing bath and climbed into her plaid pajamas and a dark grey t-shirt before climbing into bed. She rubbed her forehead when it started to pour outside. Lightning and thunder made the earth tremble from its power. The window started to rattle and she sat up, looking at it. Suddenly, there was a while owl at the window and before she knew it, the window opened and the owl flew across the room to her side. She closed her eyes, afraid it was going to attack her. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes slowly and there stood Jareth. She smiled and grabbed his hand.

"I had begun to miss you and I know how busy you have been, so I came to visit you," Jareth said, pulling her hand to his lips, kissing her hand. He sat on the bed next to her, facing her.

"We're getting married in one week. I still have no idea what to do. I need more time. I…"

He raised a hand to her cheek and used his thumb to stroke it. "You will know. Don't worry."

He moved into the bed next to her, sitting up. He pulled her close to him and she laid her head in his lap, exhausted. He ran his fingers though her ponytail, wishing her hair was down, but knew the reasons why it was up. She sighed and just before she fell asleep, asked him a question.

"What would you want to name the child if it's yours?"

Jareth smiled and gently rubbed her back, "Jareth for a boy. If it's a girl, I would call her Sara."


	11. The Hard Part of Choosing

(***Thanks to Yin7 for the inspiration for this chapter's title***)

Time began to fly by and before anyone knew it, it was the day before the wedding. Chantel paced her bedroom again, so nervous. Was she doing the right thing? Her family and friends were keeping her from seeing Chris until the wedding, and his friends keeping him from her. She had a collaboration of friends and family downstairs, chatting and having fun, but she was up in her room alone. Her mind constantly was on Jareth and the decision she had to make._ "When the clock strikes midnight, the night before your wedding, you will have made your decision." _Those words kept running through her mind.

Frustrated with herself, she angrily chimed, "I haven't! I can't choose."

She stopped pacing and looked at her ring, then placed her right hand on the necklace she wore around her neck. She sighed and closed her eyes. She really missed seeing Jareth. She hadn't seen him since he told her she had to decide.

Chantel quickly looked around her room, and then put on a sweater and a pair of shoes. She walked to her window and climbed out. She had to go see him. It may help her decide who to choose. She quickly ran to the park and to the shrubbery where the entrance to the Labyrinth was. She looked for the crack to open the door, but there was none. She searched all around the shrub for 5 feet each direction for a good fifteen minutes. It was then an elderly woman waddled over and put her hand on the girl's shoulder. Chantel collapsed to the ground, on her knees sobbing.

"There there," the old woman whispered in a groggy, raspy voice. "All is not lost. You must decide on your own."

She shoved the old woman's arm off of her and ran home, crying. As she left the park, thunder clouds rolled and then the sky let the water lose. By the time she got home, she was sopping wet and muddy. She couldn't go back inside, so she sat leaned up against the large tree in the front yard.

Not thirty minutes later, Chris drove up to the house, having snuck away from the men keeping him on house arrest. When he pulled up to the house, his headlights went across the tree and he skidded to a stop when he saw more than just the tree. He quickly put the car in park and ran to the tree. There, Chantel was slumped on the tree and out like a light. He put one hand on her cheek, the other on her arm and could feel her shivering. He quickly picked her up and carried her to the door, in the rain, and pounded the door.

Chantel's mom was surprised to open the door and see Chris, but her happy surprise turned to shock quickly when she saw her daughter, soaked to the bone in his arms. She hurried him in and began yelling at a few of the girls to get warm things and she went to take care of the car that was still on and open that was half way in the driveway.

Chris carried her to her room and undressed her, not looking at her the way he usually did when performing this task. He quickly found a pair of sweat pants, clean underwear and a sweater and put them on her. He realized it would have been so much easier if she had been awake. He found a dry blanket off to the side of her bed and pulled it around her since the one on her bed was now wet. He picked her back up and carried her into the living room and held her close, trying to warm her up. He couldn't take his eyes off of her and was constantly handing off towels that were warm that had turned cold from when he pressed them onto her face.

After what seemed to be hours, she began to stir and she slowly opened her eyes. She looked up at Chris, soft, but very confused. He smiled, relieved, and pushed back a strand of her hair.

She was able to murmur three words before she rested her head on his chest and doze back to sleep. "I love you."

Chris smiled and kissed the top of her head. "I love you too."


	12. I Can Hear the Bells

Chantel couldn't help but laugh as everyone around her were running around like chickens with their heads cut off after having some "puppy uppers". She smoothed out the white material that was hanging over her legs. She walked over to the mirror that was taller than her. She beamed, looking at herself in all white. Her mom stopped and watched her. Soon so did everyone else. This seemed so surreal for all of them. Chantel was getting married. Her mom placed the vail into her French braided hair and smiled.

"Ready?"

Chantel's friends all walked out before her and the wedding procession began. By the time Chantel took Chris' hand at the altar, her heart and mind were racing. The whole time she heard all the sweet whisperings Jareth said to her play back in her mind, as if he were behind her saying them now. Chris' squeeze on her hand brought her back to what was happening in front of her.

"I do."

(Sorry about the short chapter, I just wanted to move along)


	13. Leaving it all Behind

Chantel wiped her forehead to get rid of the sweat. She walked over to a nearby chair and flopped down into it, finally relaxing and having a moment to rest. Just then a babies' cry came from upstairs and she let out a groan. She got up and ran upstairs to her baby's crib. She bounced and rocked and tried to make soothing sounds.

"Sara, come on. Please be quiet. Shhhh." She said, stressed out beyond belief.

Chantel tried everything and finally after giving her a bottle, she became quiet and fell asleep. Chantel sighed and looked around. The house was a mess and there was laundry everywhere. She had always kept her places clean, but after she had Sara, her world slowly began to fall apart. She often would think back to her times in the Labyrinth and how she would have been treated as a queen, not a maid. Her heart broke as she had all this time to ponder what she should have done and what her life would have been. This time, she had enough.

She couldn't go back to the Labyrinth, the entrance was sealed, but she couldn't stay where she was. She searched the medicine cabinet in the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of pills. She held the bottle tightly in her hand, staring at the label. She grabbed a cup and began to pop pill after pill, swallowing them one at a time. She began to feel a pain; she couldn't center it in one spot. She dropped the bottle and cup and fell onto the floor in pain. She let out a agonized groan and the world went dark.

Chris pulled up to the house and got out of his car. He grabbed his suitcase from the trunk of the car and headed inside. He put his finger between his tie and collar and loosened the tie. He sighed and opened the front door, hearing Sara crying. Oh, he thought, Chantel is probably taking care of it. He tossed his suitcase onto the couch and headed to the kitchen, but was shocked at what was before his eyes.

"Chantel!"

Jareth held his crystal ball to his chest, tears threatening to flow over. A small goblin quietly waddled over to him and held its hands open. Jareth looked down at the goblin and saw the necklace he had given her. The necklace he could see and watch her from. He picked it up from the goblin's hand and looked off, back into the distance of the labyrinth. As his heart sank, the labyrinth began to change as well. A tan cloud began to hang over as far as the eye could see. Several plants began to wilt and die and the once beautiful lake, became tainted and began to smell.

Jareth decided he needed to watch over his daughter, Sara, and when it was time, bring her home. For years he sent her presents of things, creatures, and even a book about the Labyrinth, her home.


End file.
